BEAM LA Summer STEM Programs

K-12 STEAM education

Central LA East LA South LA

Expand existing project, program, or initiative (expanding and continuing ongoing, successful work)

Across STEM fields, people from historically marginalized and low-income communities are dramatically underrepresented. Opportunities to contribute to STEM fields and achieve greater social mobility are closed to many students with high interest and potential. Math is the key gatekeeper to STEM, yet there are few programs that give students the tools to excel mathematically. Those programs that do exist serve mostly affluent students.

Students from historically marginalized and low-income backgrounds face systemic inequities that create limited access to advanced math learning opportunities, such as math camps and access to calculus in high school, that are precursors to success in STEM. As a result of the opportunity gap, Black, Latine, and economically disadvantaged students are much more likely to enter college underprepared, struggle in college, switch from STEM majors (despite high interest), and leave college altogether.

Research has found that students exposed to STEM programming in middle school are more likely to pursue a STEM field in college or a STEM-related career. For this reason, BEAM supports students from middle school through college to ensure success in STEM. Our pathway begins with our summer camps, which build student interest and skills at a critical point in their STEM journeys. BEAM Discovery is a 5-week camp for rising 7th graders. At Discovery, students connect to math through puzzles and games focused on problem solving and logical reasoning. Students have nearly 90 hours of math instruction and build the confidence and self-identity for success.

BEAM Summer Away is a rigorous 3-week residential summer camp for rising 8th graders held on a college campus. Students explore proof-based mathematics through 80 hours of math instruction, including classes, lectures, and supervised independent study. The program focuses on building a joyful community where students fall in love with math. This transformative experience is a key step in their growth as mathematicians. Students also eat at the campus cafeteria and even learn to do their own laundry.

To our knowledge, BEAM is the only organization in the country providing long-term support to ensure success in advanced mathematics for students from historically marginalized communities. Our programs are free to students. This grant will help support BEAM’s expansion to reach more students, particularly in South LA.

Unfortunately, access to deeper learning in mathematics is unequally distributed in society. While most classes in school focus on basic STEM literacy and grade-level achievement, students whose families are connected and have financial means ensure that their students can access enriching mathematics that builds problem-solving skills.
BEAM meets a unique need in LA for advanced math programming that targets underserved communities and begins in middle school — which is precisely when more affluent students gain advantages by accessing advanced math programs. Grant funding will help BEAM reach 200 students in our middle school math camps. Our math camps create a more equitable landscape in Los Angeles, where students from any background can access rigorous STEM enrichment that prepares them for STEM degrees. BEAM students go on to pursue STEM at strong-fit colleges, including MIT, Yale, and University of California campuses. We plan to expand our efforts to South LA in 2027.